Interested in your thoughts on what you clean your chains with. I use mineral spirits on a rag and run the chain through my fingers. I told the LBS and they freak out about how that's bad for chains and your gear. Spending big bucks on a cleaning solution seems crazy.

The bottom line is that the best products for cleaning and lubricating bicycle chains are the simplest and cheapest, kerosene or mineral spirits to clean, and chainsaw oil or foaming chain lube to lubricate. Don't waste money on fancy cleaners and lubricants.

It's not crazy to your LBS. "Profitable" is a better word, I'd say. Hence their feigned, though well practiced, horror.

Please, search and read on these and other forums. There's a myriad of difference techniques & potions (Both $$$ and DIY) for cleaning your chains all pretty well documented already. Read up, try a couple.... work out which ones best for you. Live and let live. Do unto others....

arrgh... it's like bringing up religion or politics at dinner parties.

time for a ride I think.

- KymProud to have been a regular during BNA's heyday. I'm still reachable by PM (email alerts) - dec 2016

you'll find that chain manufacturers do not recommend the use of degreasers, solvents etc as it removes the manufacturers original lubricant from the rollers. in effect you are flushing out superior lubricant and replacing it with an inferior product.

simply use a rag to wipe down the chain, apply lube, wait a few minutes for it to soak into the rollers and then wipe away any excess form the chain surface.

Ride the chain on the original manufacturer's lube for as long as possible. When it gets dirty or begins to squeal/grind I wipe it clean with a rag then give it a dose of Purple Extreme lube (this lube does not attract dirt, stays on during wet conditions and lasts for ~600kms). You only need to apply this very sparingly . When it begins to grind again I repeat this process.. Been good on two rotated chains for the past 7000kms or so.

Recently purchased a can of that lightning cleaning thing (sorry can't remember exact name). It literally took less than a few minutes to melt the grime and gunk off the cassette/chain and dried within seconds.

However I had to use the whole can and at $20 a can, it'll be super expensive to keep it up. So while nice, I might just stick to the traditional cleaning methods

Interested in your thoughts on what you clean your chains with. I use mineral spirits on a rag and run the chain through my fingers. I told the LBS and they freak out about how that's bad for chains and your gear. Spending big bucks on a cleaning solution seems crazy.

What cleaning products do you use?

I havn't "cleaned" my chain since changing to the Rock N Roll oils.

With this stuff, you put it on until its dripping off the chain, then you wipe off as much as you possibly can. Clean and lube done in the one go - it works so well that even when I wash the bike I don't bother to get the kero and my paint brush out to clean the chain with.

human909 wrote:Citris degreaser seems silly when a simply solvent degrease does the job far better. Don't fall into the trap in thinking that citris degrease is somehow more natural or better for the environment.

A simple wipedown and relube is generally all thats needed. Though if you have a gunked up chain from half a decade of use on and off road then degreaser does wonders!

the environment is the least of my concerns, I use the citrus as I dont want a harsh degreaser to ruin the paint on my bike

jacks1071 wrote:With this stuff, you put it on until its dripping off the chain, then you wipe off as much as you possibly can.

That's just wasting it. Should take no more than 2 ml - or roughly 1 drop every two or three links, less if just re-oilingrather than starting from a cleaned chain.

Cheers

Unfortunately I've suffered from speedo failures that interrupted my experimental chain lifespans, but there seems to be no real drawback in terms of lifespan for chain caring for this way for one of my frequently wet in commuting chains, and its a hell of a lot less fussy than removing and kerobathing a chain. RRG doesn't crud up particularly thickly and the process gets rid of a lot of it, and leaves the chain well lubed.

Sometimes I'll clean the cassette with a brush and a little degreeso, never, never, never on the chain. Just a good hard rub with a clean dry rag until its shiny and then your favourite lube, wipe off excess and all done.

human909 wrote:Citris degreaser seems silly when a simply solvent degrease does the job far better. Don't fall into the trap in thinking that citris degrease is somehow more natural or better for the environment.

A simple wipedown and relube is generally all thats needed. Though if you have a gunked up chain from half a decade of use on and off road then degreaser does wonders!

the environment is the least of my concerns, I use the citrus as I dont want a harsh degreaser to ruin the paint on my bike

Citrius degreaser is nasty stuff, I wouldn't put it anywhere near my bike.

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